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Owen McKenna, PhD

Owen P. McKenna is a Research Ecologist at the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota.

His research is focused studying how changes in climate and land use can alter the hydrology and geochemistry of prairie-pothole wetlands. Dr. McKenna has explored a regional climate-induced ecohydrological state shift in wetland ecosystems through analysis of long-term data. He also helped in development and application of the Pothole Hydrology Linked Systems Simulator (PHyLiSS), which is an integrated hydro-geochemical model for prairie pothole wetlands. Dr. McKenna is currently using PHyLiSS to assist land managers in estimating the future impacts of climate and land-use change on critical migratory waterfowl habitat. Additionally, Dr. McKenna is using the APEX model to integrate prairie-pothole wetlands into U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation planning efforts.

Professional Experience

  • 2020 to present: Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

  • 2022 to 2024: Visiting Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey, Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center

  • 2016 to 2020: Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow, U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D., Environmental Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 2016

  • M.S., Environmental Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 2014

  • B.S., Biology w/Ecology emphasis, Loyola University Chicago, 2011

Science and Products

Hundreds of waterfowl swim in a wetland pond

Climate-Driven Shifts in Prairie Pothole Wetlands: Assessing Future Impacts to Critical Waterfowl Habitats

The North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is an expansive region that covers parts of five Midwestern states and three Canadian provinces. This region contains millions of wetlands in which waterfowl breed and from which 50-80% of the continent's migratory ducks originate each year. Previous modeling efforts indicated that climate change would result in a shift of suitable...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Climate-Driven Shifts in Prairie Pothole Wetlands: Assessing Future Impacts to Critical Waterfowl Habitats

Climate-Driven Shifts in Prairie Pothole Wetlands: Assessing Future Impacts to Critical Waterfowl Habitats

The North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is an expansive region that covers parts of five Midwestern states and three Canadian provinces. This region contains millions of wetlands in which waterfowl breed and from which 50-80% of the continent's migratory ducks originate each year. Previous modeling efforts indicated that climate change would result in a shift of suitable waterfowl
Learn More
No results found.
Filter Total Items: 21

Large increases in methane emissions expected from North America’s largest wetland complex Large increases in methane emissions expected from North America’s largest wetland complex

Natural methane (CH4) emissions from aquatic ecosystems may rise because of human-induced climate warming, although the magnitude of increase is highly uncertain. Using an exceptionally large CH4 flux dataset (~19,000 chamber measurements) and remotely sensed information, we modeled plot- and landscape-scale wetland CH4 emissions from the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), North America’s...
Authors
Sheel Bansal, Max Post van der Burg, Rachel Fern, John Jones, Rachel Lo, Owen P. McKenna, Brian Tangen, Zhen Zhang, Robert A. Gleason
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Maximizing the water quality benefits of wetlands in croplands Maximizing the water quality benefits of wetlands in croplands

Key Takeaways Nutrient loads from croplands continue to negatively affect surface water quality, despite considerable investments in and adoption of agricultural conservation practices aimed at reducing nutrient losses. Numerous studies indicate that effective restoration and management of wetlands in and adjacent to cultivated croplands could reduce surface and subsurface nutrient loads...
Authors
Owen P. McKenna, Caryn D Ross, Joseph Prenger
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The potential of Prairie Pothole wetlands as an agricultural conservation practice: A synthesis of empirical data The potential of Prairie Pothole wetlands as an agricultural conservation practice: A synthesis of empirical data

Nutrient pollution causing harmful algal blooms and eutrophication is a major threat to aquatic systems. Throughout North America, agricultural activities are the largest source of excess nutrients entering these systems. Agricultural intensification has also been a driver in the historical removal of depressional wetlands, contributing to increased hydrological connectivity across...
Authors
Caryn D Ross, Owen P. McKenna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Development of an online reporting format to facilitate the inclusion of ecosystem services into Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program reports Development of an online reporting format to facilitate the inclusion of ecosystem services into Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program reports

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is a program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. The Secretary of Agriculture is required to submit an annual report to Congress on Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program agreements that, among other things, reports on the progress made towards fulfilling commitments outlined in the agreements. The U.S...
Authors
David M. Mushet, Owen P. McKenna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Lessons learned from wetlands research at the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota, 1967–2021 Lessons learned from wetlands research at the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota, 1967–2021

Depressional wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America have a long history of investigation owing to their importance in maintaining migratory-bird populations, especially waterfowl. One area of particularly intensive study is the Cottonwood Lake study area in Stutsman County, North Dakota. Studies at the Cottonwood Lake study area began in 1967 and continue through the...
Authors
David M. Mushet, Ned H. Euliss, Donald O. Rosenberry, James W. LaBaugh, Sheel Bansal, Zeno F. Levy, Owen P. McKenna, Kyle McLean, Christopher T. Mills, Brian P. Neff, Richard D. Nelson, Matthew J. Solensky, Brian Tangen
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The impact of future climate on wetland habitat in a critical migratory waterfowl corridor of the Prairie Pothole Region The impact of future climate on wetland habitat in a critical migratory waterfowl corridor of the Prairie Pothole Region

Depressional wetlands are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation, so understanding how wetland inundation dynamics respond to changes in climate is essential for describing potential effects on wildlife breeding habitat. Millions of depressional basins make up the largest wetland complex in North America known as the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). The wetland...
Authors
Owen P. McKenna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Non-USGS Publications**

McKenna, O. P., & Sala, O. E. (2018). Playa‐wetlands effects on dryland biogeochemistry: space and time interactions. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 123. https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JG004176
McKenna, O.P., and O.E. Sala (2017), Groundwater recharge in desert playas: current rates and future effects of climate change. Environmental Research Letters, doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/aa9eb6\
McKenna, O. P., and O. E. Sala (2016), Biophysical controls over concentration and depth distribution of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in desert playas, J. Geophys. Res. Biogeosci., 121, 3019–3029, doi: 10.1002/2016JG003545
Lishawa, S. C., Treering, David. J., Vail, L. M., McKenna, O.P., Grimm, E. C. and Tuchman, N. C. (2013), Reconstructing plant invasions using historical aerial imagery and pollen core analysis: Typha in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Diversity Distrib., 19: 14–28. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4642.2012.00929.x

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Science and Products

Hundreds of waterfowl swim in a wetland pond

Climate-Driven Shifts in Prairie Pothole Wetlands: Assessing Future Impacts to Critical Waterfowl Habitats

The North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is an expansive region that covers parts of five Midwestern states and three Canadian provinces. This region contains millions of wetlands in which waterfowl breed and from which 50-80% of the continent's migratory ducks originate each year. Previous modeling efforts indicated that climate change would result in a shift of suitable...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Climate-Driven Shifts in Prairie Pothole Wetlands: Assessing Future Impacts to Critical Waterfowl Habitats

Climate-Driven Shifts in Prairie Pothole Wetlands: Assessing Future Impacts to Critical Waterfowl Habitats

The North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is an expansive region that covers parts of five Midwestern states and three Canadian provinces. This region contains millions of wetlands in which waterfowl breed and from which 50-80% of the continent's migratory ducks originate each year. Previous modeling efforts indicated that climate change would result in a shift of suitable waterfowl
Learn More
No results found.
Filter Total Items: 21

Large increases in methane emissions expected from North America’s largest wetland complex Large increases in methane emissions expected from North America’s largest wetland complex

Natural methane (CH4) emissions from aquatic ecosystems may rise because of human-induced climate warming, although the magnitude of increase is highly uncertain. Using an exceptionally large CH4 flux dataset (~19,000 chamber measurements) and remotely sensed information, we modeled plot- and landscape-scale wetland CH4 emissions from the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), North America’s...
Authors
Sheel Bansal, Max Post van der Burg, Rachel Fern, John Jones, Rachel Lo, Owen P. McKenna, Brian Tangen, Zhen Zhang, Robert A. Gleason
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Maximizing the water quality benefits of wetlands in croplands Maximizing the water quality benefits of wetlands in croplands

Key Takeaways Nutrient loads from croplands continue to negatively affect surface water quality, despite considerable investments in and adoption of agricultural conservation practices aimed at reducing nutrient losses. Numerous studies indicate that effective restoration and management of wetlands in and adjacent to cultivated croplands could reduce surface and subsurface nutrient loads...
Authors
Owen P. McKenna, Caryn D Ross, Joseph Prenger
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The potential of Prairie Pothole wetlands as an agricultural conservation practice: A synthesis of empirical data The potential of Prairie Pothole wetlands as an agricultural conservation practice: A synthesis of empirical data

Nutrient pollution causing harmful algal blooms and eutrophication is a major threat to aquatic systems. Throughout North America, agricultural activities are the largest source of excess nutrients entering these systems. Agricultural intensification has also been a driver in the historical removal of depressional wetlands, contributing to increased hydrological connectivity across...
Authors
Caryn D Ross, Owen P. McKenna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Development of an online reporting format to facilitate the inclusion of ecosystem services into Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program reports Development of an online reporting format to facilitate the inclusion of ecosystem services into Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program reports

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is a program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. The Secretary of Agriculture is required to submit an annual report to Congress on Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program agreements that, among other things, reports on the progress made towards fulfilling commitments outlined in the agreements. The U.S...
Authors
David M. Mushet, Owen P. McKenna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Lessons learned from wetlands research at the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota, 1967–2021 Lessons learned from wetlands research at the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota, 1967–2021

Depressional wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America have a long history of investigation owing to their importance in maintaining migratory-bird populations, especially waterfowl. One area of particularly intensive study is the Cottonwood Lake study area in Stutsman County, North Dakota. Studies at the Cottonwood Lake study area began in 1967 and continue through the...
Authors
David M. Mushet, Ned H. Euliss, Donald O. Rosenberry, James W. LaBaugh, Sheel Bansal, Zeno F. Levy, Owen P. McKenna, Kyle McLean, Christopher T. Mills, Brian P. Neff, Richard D. Nelson, Matthew J. Solensky, Brian Tangen
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The impact of future climate on wetland habitat in a critical migratory waterfowl corridor of the Prairie Pothole Region The impact of future climate on wetland habitat in a critical migratory waterfowl corridor of the Prairie Pothole Region

Depressional wetlands are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation, so understanding how wetland inundation dynamics respond to changes in climate is essential for describing potential effects on wildlife breeding habitat. Millions of depressional basins make up the largest wetland complex in North America known as the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). The wetland...
Authors
Owen P. McKenna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Non-USGS Publications**

McKenna, O. P., & Sala, O. E. (2018). Playa‐wetlands effects on dryland biogeochemistry: space and time interactions. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 123. https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JG004176
McKenna, O.P., and O.E. Sala (2017), Groundwater recharge in desert playas: current rates and future effects of climate change. Environmental Research Letters, doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/aa9eb6\
McKenna, O. P., and O. E. Sala (2016), Biophysical controls over concentration and depth distribution of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in desert playas, J. Geophys. Res. Biogeosci., 121, 3019–3029, doi: 10.1002/2016JG003545
Lishawa, S. C., Treering, David. J., Vail, L. M., McKenna, O.P., Grimm, E. C. and Tuchman, N. C. (2013), Reconstructing plant invasions using historical aerial imagery and pollen core analysis: Typha in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Diversity Distrib., 19: 14–28. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4642.2012.00929.x

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

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